Nimer stood in the middle of a large field. Long blades of grass swayed above his ankles and just below his knees. The sun overhead warmed the atmosphere, and he could feel the warmth on his bare hands. Glancing downward, he noticed the absence of his coat and worn boots leaving him in a black shirt and bare feet. Wiggling his toes into the dirt he felt grounded and calm. Trees circled the small clearing. Spring birds flocked from their tops. A few deer grazed undisturbed, not making note of his presence.
He became startled when he felt a light touch on his hand and soon slender fingers laced themselves with his. He turned slowly, looking behind him, meeting a girl about his height with kind brown eyes and golden hair that swayed about her shoulders in the breeze. The sun created a halo around the top of her head making her appear like an angel.
"Kat," he gasped.
"It's been a while Nimer," she giggled and leaned in, brushing her lips against his cheek.
His cheeks flushed a little with embarrassment. A soft smile curved his lips melting the ice in his gaze and seriousness of his expression. Turning to her fully, he reached a hand placing the base of his palm near her jaw and raking his fingers into her hair.
"I missed you," he barely whispered. He pulled her close, both arms embracing her. He held her like she would crumble in his arms if he let her go even for a second.
A smile embellished her face, warm as the sun that bathed their shoulders. Nuzzling her nose into his shoulder, she clung to him. "I missed you too," her voice cracked.
Slowly pulling away, he gazed upon her face, his features suddenly expressing guilt. He looked away from her. "No, I don't believe you. You know I can't take back what I've done to you," he stammered.
"You know I'd forgive you in a heartbeat, Nimer," Katalena said, still smiling. She reached a hand up, placing it on his chest near his heart. "You did it to protect me and I understand that. Please, if anything, forgive yourself for what you've done."
His eyes found her again. "Everything we've had through the years…" he trailed off and placed both hands on the underside of her jaw. "The memories, Kat. They hurt me more than anything…remembering so much about you, about us, about what we had-"
Disappointment crossed her face and she shook her head free from his grasp. "The past is in the past, Nimer. You can't do anything about it. You are here, right now in the present, Nimer." She turned away from him, holding her arm and letting the light wind sway her hair toward his face. "Of all people, you should know that. You told me that I should live in the now and our past wouldn't matter. Why don't you believe your own words, Nimer?"
Nimer stood there dumbfounded. He felt a deep sense of shame. "You were awakening, Kat. You were going to die and they would just come after you if I didn't erase…if I didn't erase me from your mind. I wanted you to live without me as a burden to you."
"I've told you, time and time again, Nimer," her words became bitter as she turned sharply and took the front of his black shirt up in her hands and pulled him into a kiss as her lips on his with force then pulled away slowly. "I still love you and will when I get my memories back. I will once you awaken. Till then, you aren't allowed to die, you know this."
Nimer stood there still trying to grasp his breath from her sudden display of affection. "I can't, Kat," he confessed.
She stared him dead in the eyes. "The Nimer I know can do anything," she uttered. With a light but forceful tug on his shirt she reiterated. "Anything, Nimer." After a moment of searching his eyes she asked, "Where is that strong, resilient man I fell in love with? I miss him more than you."
Nimer was at a loss for words, his mind imploding on him while the guilt and shame festered.
Kat let go of his shirt and looked down. "Just because I was chosen to be a goddess doesn't mean you've lost me. I died that day for a reason. You couldn't have stopped it…"
"I let them-"
"You let them take me away, Nimer. Now, you're making an ass of yourself rather than accepting the truth, Nimer," Kat said firmly, grimacing at her own words. "You gave up on me. How could you?"
He felt small compared to her words. She had always been like this, able to put his stubborn mind in its place when he was not at ease, able to bring him back to a sense of reality. She kept him at bay.
She leaned in close, placing her forehead against his shoulder. "Ice melts when you give it the chance to, Nimer. I'm not gone. You can't keep convincing yourself that I am. And you most certainly can't help anyone when you're suffering, my love."
"You're right," Nimer muttered after a long silence, the windows to his soul becoming clouded in emotion.
She turned his head toward her with her hand, placing her fingers under his trimmed beard. She smiled, her teeth flashing. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you too," he answered back.
She searched his face before leaning into his ear, speaking quietly. "If given the chance to fall in love again…would you take that chance?"
His eyes shot wide. "Kat I-"
A sudden sharp pain shot through his chest and he let out a yell.
"Nimer!" Kat cried as he sunk to the grass on his knees heaving. She placed both hands on his shoulders, shaking him vigorously and crying his name. "Nimer! Nimer!"
Nimer…
Nimer…
"Nimer, wake up lad," came a gruff, distantly familiar voice.
The shaking of his shoulders felt more real as his eyes opened, his blurry vision soon adjusting to the wooden ceiling of the inn room.
"Blasted bastard, wake up," came the voice again.
Nimer's head rolled to the side. Feeling the light cushion against his cheek from the few pillows he was propped up on, he came to the conclusion that he was no longer in the dream. His weary gaze settled on the stumpy dwarven man near his bedside.
"Kugruth?" Nimer asked quietly.
"You bet your sick arse it's me," the Dwarf gargled.
Next came a stream of oneray giggling from the foot of his bed and at that time Nimer tried to sit up to see Ray there with a hand over her mouth. "Good morning."
Nimer frowned and looked down at himself, finding his shirt to be missing. "Where is my shirt?" he asked, not very amused, then pointed to the dwarf. "And where did you come from?" he demanded.
"Aye, what a way to greet an ol' friend," Kugruth said, rolling his eyes. "You'd be a goner if it weren't for the lass here. A thanks be due in my honest opinion, hm?"
Nimer cursed under his breath. "I just passed out. I was tired."
"Oh did ya now?" the dwarf asked rubbing his beard. "I heard ya be choakin up er few mouths of blood. Ya scared the poor gurl and the lad."
Ray fell silent and she stared with concern at her guide. "You aren't well Nimer. Can you at least tell me what's going on with you? Kugruth said you should."
Nimer went a little red in the face from frustration. He wasn't pleased with both Kugruth and Ray ganging up on him. He sighed heavily. "Shirt first please," he grumbled and held out a hand toward Ray.
Ray pulled his shirt off the foot headboard and handed it to him reluctantly. Nimer snatched it up and pulled it over his head with a tug. Kugruth looked at him expectantly and Ray now did the same. Nimer tugged on the strings of his shirt and readjusted his collar. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he cleared his throat.
"I am awakening into one of the light council gods," Nimer said firmly.
"I could have guessed," Ray said, crossing her arms. "Your body is covered in tiger stripes. You are Albranis then. Why wouldn't you just tell us?"
"I wasn't sure who you were, Ray," Nimer looked at her seriously. "It's important to know that the cult of Ravathor has been hunting for the true king and queen as well as myself for some time now. They want to kill us. I wasn't sure if you were trying to manipulate me into joining you two when you showed me the shard."
Ray softened but not by much. "I suppose that is acceptable."
"I'd hope so, because the more dire situations we get into, the less I'm going to be of help to protect you with the necrosis," Nimer warned.
"Necrosis?" Kugruth said in surprise. "How did you manage to get necrosis?" Nimer was silent, but Kugruth saw right through him. "Don' tell me ya did what I think ya did. I refuse to believe ya'd be tha' stupid."
"I killed Navid trying to pass my awakening onto him…" Nimer said quietly.
"An why would ya go an kill your twin like tha', Nimer, hm? Were you tha' misrible tryin' to live without Katalena? Ya know very well what ya did to ''er and you have the power to reverse it," Kugruth scorned him.
Ray's eyebrows knitted in confusion and she asked, "What did you do, Nimer?"
"I…" He ran a hand over his face. "I erased her memories of me and of her awakening into Faelira."
Ray visibly shook and nearly yelled. "Why would you do that to your own lover Nimer?"
"To protect her from Ravathor and the other dark gods! What do you think?" Nimer spat back. He sighed looking at the ground.
Ray shook her head. "You can't protect everyone, Nimer."
"I know that," he mumbled. Nimer stood and grabbed his coat from the chair.
"I'd best tell ya not to get into dire situations, Nimer. The necrosis curse will kill ya before you're able to awaken," Kugruth said, watching him closely.
"That's not possible, Kugruth," Nimer said. He placed a hand on his forehead feeling a little light in the head. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed again. "We're looking for the kingdom again and the soul of Drakhorion Flamebane and the potential soul of Seraphina Emberwing, I can't stop."
"So tha' funny feller downstairs is the Dragon King, color me surprised," Kugruth said sarcastically, placing his hands on his hips. "Yur friend told me a bit about it while you slumbered."
Nimer made his way over to the mirror where he retied his hair into a ponytail using leather string and admired his appearance. "Where is Jex now?"
"Down stairs, keepin me companion busy," Kugruth answered. "I'd be surprised if ye made it down to the tavern floors in yur condition."
"What condition?" Nimer returned the doubt while slipping his arms into the sleeves of his coat. "I feel like I do any day. Refreshed and ready for a challenge."
"You bet your arse there's a challenge waitin for ye downstairs," Kugruth chuckled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Nimer said, seeming doubtful.
"Why don you go down stairs and take a look fer yourself, lad, cause you're so tough," Kugruth said, raising a brow.
After sheathing his cutlasses and tying them to his belt he eyed the dwarf suspiciously. "Maybe I will." Nimer turned his nose in the air and opened the door, leaving, then closing it behind him with a slight slam.
Nimer had descended the stairs and reached the bottom. Through the hustle and bustle of the large tavern, his gaze landed on Jex sitting at a far table, a few empty mugs in his presence. He started making his way over to the table when someone clumsily collided with him causing the tray of mugs they were carrying to topple over and spill all over his coat and head.
Ray just made it to the bottom of the stairs as it happened. She quickly bit her lips knowing who had just run into him.
Nimer ran his hands over his face, his eyes burning from the alcohol. He was about to curse at the person who ran into him till a familiar, sweet-toned voice met his ears. "Oh my, I'm so sorry! You're not hurt are you?"
Nimer froze, his eyes looking upward at the clumsy woman's face. He recognized her face everywhere. The guilt krept on him like a storm and he could barely mutter her name. "Kat."
Kat stopped scrambling to pick up the mugs and stared at Nimer, less with a look of recognition and more a confused expression.
"…Do I know you?"